


Overwatch Families AU

by alienisticjay



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, F/F, F/M, Family, Fluff, Gay, Like, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Possibly an extra chapter with the smut so you can read it or skip it, Security Company AU, Slow Burn, leave criticism in the comments but dont be too mean please, mentioned smut, really gay, this is my first fanfic in YEARS
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-01
Updated: 2019-08-01
Packaged: 2020-07-28 09:04:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20061481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alienisticjay/pseuds/alienisticjay
Summary: A little bit of high school drama mixed with the troubles their parents face at work.At Mondatta High, Jesse and Genji hopelessly pine for each other while Lucio struggles on whether or not to admit his feelings for his longtime bestie, Hana. Olivia and Satya start dating, and the hacker fears she is becoming a poetry lesbian due to how beautiful her girlfriend is.At the Overwatch security company, Jack and the gang™️ face typical workplace problems. Hanzo and Amelié struggle with a potential case a client hired them for.





	Overwatch Families AU

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! This is my first fanfic I’ve written in years, as well as my first time posting on this site. Please feel free to give me feedback <3

Olivia whined once she heard her door creak open. The light from the hallway filled her room, causing her to stuff her face into her pillow. Hana huffed from her sister’s bedside before leaning down and yelling, “We are leaving in ten minutes!” She set a cup of coffee down on the bedside table and left the room, slamming the door shut. 

Realizing she overslept, Olivia downed the burning drink and ran around her room. Choosing leggings, a pink tank top and purple zip-up to wear, she sprinted to the bathroom across the hall, brushing her teeth harshly with one hand while attempting to dress herself with the other. Somehow managing to clothe herself and complete her morning routine, she flew down the stairs and shoved her feet in her shoes harshly.

Finally stopping to look around, she noticed nobody was downstairs or outside in the car. Confused, the teen trudged back upstairs, approaching Hana’s room. She heard laughter and another voice inside. Pushing the door open violently, Olivia confronted Hana. 

“You lied to me!” The Latina screamed, stomping her foot down in a caffeine and anger induced tantrum. Perched upon her bed, dressed but otherwise unprepared to leave, Hana recorded the fit on her phone while laughing hysterically. 

“Gotcha!” She giggled, then began speaking to her phone. “Lucio, did you see that? I got her good!” A voice on the other end suppressed his enjoyment, save for a snicker, and said, “Oh no, don’t drag me into this!” He ended the call with a quick “See you at school, Song.” 

As soon as Lucio was offline, Olivia and Hana got into a yelling match. Within a couple minutes, Jack and Gabriel arrived in the doorway, followed by a grumpy Jesse. The girls were unbothered and continued screaming. With a loud sigh, Gabe entered the room and physically stood between them. “Girls, please, shut the hell up. It’s 6 A.M., what’s this all over.” After a brief pause, they glanced at each other, then tried explaining their sides in a jumbled manner at the same time. Jack interjected this time, “Olivia, you go first, what happened?” 

“She woke me up and told me I was late!” She grumbled, pushing her way outta the room. “Hana never acts her age!” Her brother snickered, winking at Hana. 

“Good one.” Jesse mumbled before yawning, promptly retreating to his bed to catch another half hour of sleep. Only her fathers remained, and Hana nervously waited for the reprimanding to begin. She buried her head in her pillow, which nearly muffled her words, “Go ahead, lecture me!” 

Jack rolled his eyes with a sign then left the room, obviously tired from the long hours at work. “Guess this one’s mine,” Reyes pointed out as he sat on the edge of Hana’s bed. “I mean, you already know why we’re mad. I’ll spare you a talk and just let you know, next time you’re grounded. No phone, no computer, no camera.” The teen lifted her face from her pillow, eyes wide. She nodded vigorously, which was Gabe’s cue to go tend to sleepy Jack. Burying her face in her pillow, Hana went back to sleep. 

Waking at around 6:30 for school everyday has always been a challenging task for one Jesse Morrison-Reyes. Slamming his fist over his alarm, he grumbled as he shifted around beneath his comforter. Gripping his bedside table, he hoisted himself up and sat with his back against the wall. Swinging his legs to meet the ground, he slowly stood up and stumbled into his bathroom. 

The teen reached one hand into his shower and turned it on, leaving it on cold. He hoped the brisk temperature would be enough to wake him up without having to rely on coffee. Stripping down, Jesse climbed into the shower and rinsed himself off absentmindedly. Mostly, his thoughts were occupied by pondering what his schedule would look like and being able to see Lena, who’d been away on vacation for the entire summer. Her parents took her all over Europe as a gift to their daughter for winning Nationals. Must be cool being a track star. 

Climbing out of the icy stream of water, he wrapped a towel around his waist and continued his morning routine. Slipping into simple blue jeans and a black tee,  
complete with his signature cowboy boots, he admired his physique. Football did wonders for his muscles, he thought as he flexed. 

Heavily descending the stairs as he usually did, Jesse’s presence was known before he was seen by the rest of his family. He grabbed himself a piece of bacon off the stove then snagged a bite of egg off Hana’s plate when the Korean wasn’t looking. Finishing the meal off with a granola bar, Jesse headed to the front door, snatching the keys to his beat-up car, which was Gabe’s old car, saved for his son when he was old enough to drive.

“You’ve got five minutes to get in the car or you’re walking!” He called out to his sisters. Upon hearing his threat, there was a clatter of plates being washed up in the sink, both girls trying to do it at the same time. Chuckling to himself, he opened the front door and unlocked his vehicle. His phone was pulled out of his pocket as he sat in the driver’s sear, door still open, and sent a quick text to Lena.

[Cowboy] Yo, meet at the back entrance per usual?

It was only a few moments before the familiar three dots appeared then were promptly replaced by words. 

[Tracer] Yep! Will be there in abt 5-10 min.

[Cowboy] Same, depends on when the brats finally come outside. 

[Tracer] Lol cya

Jesse returned his phone to his pocket, turning his attention to the opening front door, and out followed his two sisters arguing and sprinting for the front seat. Quickly, their brother locked the passenger seat door, laughing at their attempts to open it. “You’re both in the back!” The girls unenthusiastically obeyed him, and climbed in the backseat. After double-checking everyone was safe, Jesse peeled out of the driveway and headed for Mondatta High.

Hanzo Shimada opened the door to his younger brother’s room, ready to wake him up, only to be greeted with the sight of the teen comparing outfits in the mirror. One was more obviously his style; a form-fitted cropped tee paired with stylish, high-waisted denim shorts and a small black belt, and the second, less flamboyant; a regular t-shirt, skinny jeans, and a gray hoodie. While staring in the mirror, Genji saw the reflection of the door opening and Hanzo walking in. Sighing, he turned to his older brother. 

Already one step ahead, Hanzo replied, “Go with the first one. It accentuates your legs, as you always say, and is obviously more you.” Still, the worried look persisted on Genji’s face. 

“You know, Hanzo, America is praised for being so forward-thinking and like it is some LGBT+ paradise. But I did my research. Gay kids are still bullied as ever and hate crimes exist. Plus, I also don’t want to be the weird transfer kid.” The green-haired boy spoke fast and nervous, but his facial expression eased when he heard his brother’s laugh. After a moment, Genji asked, “Why are you laughing, Hanzo?”

Though he was usually stern and serious, Hanzo smiled. “Because, Genji, you might like boys, and people may see being gay as weak, but you grew up a Shimada. You took fighting classes since you were three. You could kick any American’s ass if they make fun of you.” This seemed to ease Genji and he nodded. “You’re right Hanzo, for once.” Rolling his eyes, the older exited and shut the door. 

After a fast shower, Genji changed into the outfit. Glancing himself over as he blow-dried his green locks, he found himself agreeing with Hanzo. This outfit really did bring out his legs. 

Quickly going over his eyelid in red pencil liner, Genji sprinted down the stairs as he noticed he was almost going to be late to school. Yelling a quick goodbye to Hanzo, Genji climbed into the backseat of one of his father’s personal  
drivers and instructed him on where to go. 

As he pulled up to the front entrance, Genji thanked the driver and exited the car. Making his way to the front office, he took note that all the other students either didn’t seem to notice his fashion choices or seemed to be admiring them. Smiling to himself, he confidently strode up to the secretary’s desk. She seemed bored as she asked for his name and gave him his schedule and introduced him to his guide, a fellow sophomore named Lucio. 

“Hey man, how’s it hanging?” The energetic student greeted Genji. Offering a polite smile, he responded with a simple “Good, you?” before continuing to observe his surroundings. Lucio tried his best to describe where classes were and how to get to each building on time for class. Taking mental notes of the important things, Genji’s train of thought was disrupted by a tall, muscular upperclassmen and two younger girls approaching them. Lucio greeted them as enthusiastically as he did Genji, “Hey Hana, Jesse. Sorry about this morning Olivia! Swear, I’m just a witness. All Hana’s idea.” Both of the girls just snickered, while the guy, apparently ‘Jesse’, just rolled his eyes.

“These two are always bickering either way.” He remarked, and Genji’s heart skipped a beat. The Japanese boy had never heard an accent so attractive before! Silently admiring the man in front of him, the Asian girl spoke up and disrupted his staring. “Lucio, you still haven’t introduced us to your friend! I’m Hana, and these are my siblings, Olivia and Jesse.” 

Jesse stuck his hand out and Genji gripped it weakly and shook it. He was surprised the three newcomers couldn’t hear his heartbeat. “I’m Genji.” He responded, barely managing to not stutter in front of this gorgeous man. 

“Say, I’m a junior and I’ve never seen you around here before. You new?” Genji nodded his head to Jesse’s inquiry. “Yes, I am. I transferred here from Japan.” Struggling to keep his eyes from wandering, Genji looked down at his feet. 

Eyes widening, Jesse replied, “That’s awful far. How’s America treating you?” Genji shrugged his shoulders, not sure how to respond properly. 

Completely separate from Olivia, Hana, and Lucio’s conversation now, Jesse began listing off cool places in town to visit or hang out. Genji tried his best to seem extra engaged, and it wasn’t hard considering he was developing a fast crush. Soon, Jesse’s phone was buzzing and he mumbled something under his breath. Looking at Genji apologetically, he pointed at his phone and explained, “Aw shit, I was supposed to meet someone like ten minutes ago! I’ll catch you soon.” All Genji mustered up as a response was a tiny wave goodbye. 

Turning to face the other underclassmen, he noticed Olivia had gone too. He casually slipped back into the conversation again and soon, Hana was checking his schedule. “Oh, wow! You’re in most junior classes! You must be smart. I recognize a couple of these from Jesse’s schedule.” Perking up at the name, the new kid masked his excitement at the possibility of sharing a class with the handsome junior. 

“Oh, at least I’ll have someone I know in some of my classes,” he grinned sheepishly and Hana nodded in response, returning the paper to him. “I gotta blast dudes, I’ll see you at break!” The girl took off down the hall, leaving Genji and Lucio to themselves. The guide sighed, before admitting to Genji, “I’ve had a thing for her since middle school, but it’s weird when you’ve been best friends since before either of us could walk.” 

“I-I know I just got here, I think I also may, um, have a thing for someone,” Genji mumbled to his new friend as they walked down the hall to his first period. “Their older brother, uh, Jesse... He’s-“ Lucio cut him off with a laugh, before apologizing.

“Sorry, sorry, but Jesse? You’ll have to compete with every girl in this school to get his attention, since he’s the starting quarterback. Don’t get why football’s so hot to girls. But you’ve already got a leg up on them; your new friends are me and his younger sister.” Genji turned to face Lucio, preventing him from walking on. 

He started nervously, “Wait, what? A football player? I stand no chance!” Lucio shook his head. “Look, Jesse’s bisexual so yes, you do. Plus, if you’re athletic and flexible, which it looks like you are, I may have an idea...”

They continued walking as Lucio mumbled his plan into Genji’s ear, the transfer nodding enthusiastically along. “Yeah, I can do that. I’ve been trained in all sorts of martial arts and even ballroom dancing as a kid. My dad’s an international businessman so he wanted me and my brother to be prepared for all sorts of important events and be able to defend myself in an emergency. I think I can do high kicks, and back flips are easy.” His entire demeanor was uplifted and he grew excited at the thought. 

Before long, Genji was dropped off at his first period, he strolled into the Precalculus classroom. Immediately, his eyes drifted over to Jesse, who was sitting on a desk and talking to a girl with silver-white hair. His nerves kicked in, unsure of where to sit. The junior caught his eye and beckoned him over. They shared a polite smile before Jesse ditched the conversation with the girl. “Didn’t get lost on your way here, didja?” 

Shaking his head, Genji grinned. “Nope, Lucio’s a good tour guide. Found this place pretty easy.” 

“That’s good. Sorry for ditching you, my friend needed me this morning and I hadn’t seen her in months. But hey, maybe after school the six of us can go hit downtown? I can take you to some of those places I was telling you about.” The latino had a grin on his face, which just about made Genji melt. 

The green-haired boy eagerly nodding, hoping he didn’t seem too excited. “I would lov- really enjoy that, Jesse. Also, the six of us? Who are you referring to?”

“Oh, my bad,” Jesse started before he listed, “You, me, Lucio, Hana, Olivia, and my friend, Lena. She’s the one I had to run for this morning. You two will get along great, it’s impossible not to like her.” Genji was about to respond when the bell cut them off and Jesse slid off the desk and into the chair. 

He was glad the football player had invited him to sit behind him because the kids who surrounded Jesse were incredibly nice, except the silver-haired girl. She refused to look at Genji at all during the period, but he caught her eyes drifting to Jesse frequently. The realization hit Genji that she probably felt the same way that he did about the quarterback. Her features were sharp and gorgeous, fair skin with white hair, plump red lips, flawless eyeliner. Propping his head up with his hand, Genji felt discouraged. This girl was much prettier than he was and probably knew Jesse a lot better than he did. Maybe this downtown excursion would be the perfect place to start learning about his hobbies and interests. 

Class went a lot quicker than anticipated, and Jesse plucked Genji’s schedule out of his hands. Going through the classes, Jesse took out a pen and put a star next to three of them. He marked Precalc, World History, and Gym class. “These,” Jesse handed back the paper as he spoke, “are the classes we have together. I’ll see you fourth and sixth period.” 

Genji nodded and waved as he took off towards a lean, but athletic girl with gelled brunette locks. That must be Lena, he noted, and began to walk the other direction. While lost in thought trying to remember his way to the English classrooms, he walked straight into the pretty girl from Precalc. Looking up, he began apologizing immediately, “I’m so so sorry, I wasn’t looking, I’m-“

She cut him off with a smile that was too nice, obviously fake. Though she only had a couple inches on him, it seemed like she towered over him. Trying to stand his ground, he stood up straight as she began speaking. 

“Don’t do that again, and do yourself a favor and stay far away from me. Trust me, you do not wanna get on my bad side.” Turning on his heels, she began to walk away, but with all of his confidence, he responded quite loud.

“I think it’d actually be in your best interest to stay off my bad side.” His voice didn’t waver like he thought it did, and he stood his ground. The girl smirked over her shoulder. All she said is, “My name’s Ashe. Remember that.”

Shaken from the encounter, Genji spotted Jesse still talking to the brunette in the hallway. Trying not to visibly reflect his emotions, he tapped on Jesse’s shoulder. Both of the juniors turned to look at him. “Heya Genji, this is Lena. Lena, this is the new kid I was just telling you about.”

He was talking about me? Is that good or bad? He pondered internally as he greeted them both. “Sorry to interrupt but Lucio never showed after math and I don’t remember where my English class is..” Lena nodded and took a quick peek at his schedule. 

“I’ve got Drama class next and the departments are close by, I’ll take you there,” Lena offered, and as soon as the transfer accepted, she took off down the hall. He followed behind her closely, trying to memorize the way. 

Hana fell asleep during first period. It wasn’t her fault the first day of high school was boring! She woke up with the bell, and quickly shoved her books in her bag. Making her way out of the classroom, she found Lucio waiting for her, leaning against a wall by the door. Grinning, she walked over to him and asked him where Genji was. His eyes went wide, and he went “Oh shit, I forgot about him.” Hana giggled, and reassured him.

“He’s with Jesse anyways, I think they had first period together. I didn’t wanna say it in front of Genji, but I think Jesse was checking him out.” Lucio raised his eyebrows, a silent question, and she nodded in response. They shared a knowing look.

“Genji told me he’s totally already crushing on Jesse. We gotta set them up. I told Genji he should become a cheerleader to get close to him.” The Korean gasped, grabbing Lucio’s shoulders. 

Not caring how loud she was, she exclaimed, “Holy shit Lucio, you’re a genius! Once Jesse sees Genji in those tiny shorts, he’ll be all over him! Have you seen his legs? They look better than mine.” She pouted at the last sentence, which made her friend laugh.

“Your legs are great too Hana, any guy would be lucky to see you in a cheerleading uniform. Too bad you have the flexibility of a 90  
year old with arthritis.” Punching him in the arm playfully, they both stopped when they received a text from Jesse. It was in a new group chat with Hana, Olivia, Lena, Jesse and Lucio.

[Cowboy] I dont have his number but I already offered, everyone good to go downtown with Genji after school? Wanna show him around town.

The two underclassmen shared a look and giggled, typing back assuring they’d be there. They giggled to themselves as they planned how to set those two up for good. Splitting to go to their next classes, they said a quick goodbye. Running happily through the near empty halls, she made it to gym class right on time. 

Lucio wasn’t kidding when he said that Hana wasn’t flexible, hell she wasn’t even athletic in the slightest. Born with a fabulous metabolism and graced with the gift of a father who only cooked healthy meals, her figure was amazing. But the last time she’d properly exercised was playing tag in elementary school. As she ran laps around the track in the hot August sun, her legs grew wobbly. “Fuck...” She mumbled to herself. Only having one lap left, she decided to push through. Luckily, there was still a decent amount of girls running. 

Finally nearing the finish line at the end, Hana struggled to place her feet in front of the other. Only several yards away, she sped up, and placed her foot wrong. She tumbled to the ground, the teacher and fellow students picking her up off the ground. The girl clutched her ankle, groaning in pain. Two girls volunteered to help her to the nurse’s office, shoulders wedged beneath her own. Thanking them, she sat down as she waited for the nurse. From behind the curtain, she noticed someone familiar.

“Angela! What are you doing here?” Hana smiled, happy to see her longtime acquaintance. “Thought you graduated last year!” The nurse snickered and released the student she was treating for a bloody nose. She bent down and hugged Hana. 

“I did, Ms. Song,” She explained as she examined Hana’s ankle, “I got hired as a nurse. The schools are really lowering their standards when it comes to school nurses.”

Blowing a raspberry with her lips, the teen exclaimed, “Lowering? From the stories I heard about the old nurse from Jesse, you’re an improvement! The best of the best, Nurse Ziegler!” Chuckling at the child’s enthusiasm, she stood up to retrieve an ice pack from a bin on the floor. Her fist was slammed into the center, triggering the chemicals to mix and become cold. Laying it over the swollen ankle, she announced it was merely a sprain and she’d need to keep the pressure off of it. Angela lent her some crutches for the day, saying to return them once they weren’t needed and to come back for a checkup tomorrow. 

Shooting a quick text to her dads to pick her up early, she waited at the main office. They decided to give her a rest, as it is the first day of school which is barely any work. Groaning, she realized her dads wouldn’t let her out with everyone because of this. 

[DVa] Sorry, can’t make it anymore! Sprained my ankle, dads would never let me go downtown now. 

[DJFroggy] I’ll swing by your place after school instead then! No reason for you to hang alone.

[Cowboy] That’s rough lil sis, want us to reschedule? 

[Dva] No, of course not! Lucio and I will have a night in. Genji still needs to see downtown! 

As she typed, she wondered why they were on their phones at all- third period was just starting. Exiting out of the texting app, she opened her instagram and searched Genji’s name. Immediately finding his profile, she saw his number in his bio. The number was copy and pasted into the group chat and she added him. 

[——] What’s this?

[DVa] Its our group chat for tonight! This is Hana btw. Tracer is Lena, Sombra is Olivia, Cowboy is Jesse and DJFroggy is Lucio. You can change your name to whatever! 

(User ——— updated name to Ninja)

[Ninja] Did I do it right? I’ve never used this app before.

[Sombra] Yup. Welcome!

[Tracer] Stop texting! My phone keeps going off and my teacher is getting suspicious! It won’t let me turn the notifications off.

[Sombra] H

[Sombra] B

[Sombra] J

[Sombra] K

[Sombra] I

[Sombra] boop!

[Sombra] bl

[Sombra] Y

[Tracer] Olivia stop right now!!!! I’m gonna get detention!

[Sombra] Fine fine, I’ll teach you how to change settings l8r. 

Suppressing laughter at her sister’s antics, Hana noticed her dad’s car pull up. Pointing it out to the secretary, she began the difficult journey of using crutches. The door was the most difficult task. Struggling to push it open, Jack quickly ran outta the car and opened it for her. His daughter let out a sigh, feeling useless already. At least Lucio would cheer her up tonight. 

Third period was always the longest for Olivia, even in middle school. Right before lunch, which signaled half of the day was over. Her head was resting on her hand, which was propped up on her desk by her elbow. She’d been in this position the whole period, which was causing her wrist to cramp up. Finally moving, she shook her hand out. As she did so, the bell rang and she jumped out of her seat eagerly. Olivia dashed out the classroom towards the cafeteria. 

On her way there, she crashed directly into someone. Knocking them flat, she offered her hand, which the fallen girl took. Slightly taller than Olivia and in a short, baby blue dress that hugged her beautiful curves in all the right ways. In that moment, seeing her gorgeous, pointed face, Olivia probably felt the closest thing to a crush as she ever had in her life. Though she was properly smitten, she still helped her up and picked up the scattered books. What a cliché, the Latina joked to herself, before straightening her posture to return the dropped items. 

“Sorry about that, I guess I’m a little too eager for lunch time.” Olivia joked easily, walking with the girl to the cafeteria. “I’m Olivia by the way. I’m a freshman. How about you?”

Her voice steady and calm, the girl’s lips didn’t even form a smile as she spoke, “Satya. I’m a sophomore.” Her words came out slowly and Olivia found herself writing poetry about this girl’s lips. Oh no, I am not a poetry lesbian! I’m a hacker lesbian, she reminded herself. 

They reached the lunch line and once they grabbed their food and neared the counter, Olivia stuck her money to the cashier. “This lunch is on me. You know, for accidentally knocking you onto your ass.” Her new acquaintance just shrugged and offered the slightest bit of acknowledgement. 

Nearing a table, Satya once again, slowly, made an offer, “Would you like to sit with me Olivia? I can’t seem to find my friends amidst the first day back... chaos.” She seemed annoyed at the last word, but gladly sat down. 

“I was gonna sit with my old friends, don’t get me wrong I love them, but I just don’t vibe with them sometimes. They’re very energetic. I’m a little more drawn to... a slow pace, I guess.” Olivia grinned as she sat opposite of Satya. “Plus, my friend Jamie always is all over his boyfriend. I’m not homophobic, I’m lesbian myself, but like. I mean, all over. No boundaries.”

Satya giggled at this, a welcome change to her serious demeanor. “Yes, that would annoy me too. And it’s interesting that we found each other. I am also a lesbian.” After a moment, she added. “Sorry, if my phrasing was weird. I, uh, am also on the spectrum. For autism.” 

Raising her eyebrows, she shrugged. “Your phrasing was fine, don’t worry about it. And it is interesting. Didn’t even have to go searching for any cute gay girls. Just, literally, walked right into one.” Her words made the sophomore blush and smile weakly. Seeing her reaction was positive, she continued. “Now I know it’s a little sooner- we did just meet like ten minutes ago- but you wanna catch a movie after school? Some friends of mine are heading downtown after school, so we can catch a ride with them.” Eagerly, Satya nodded. 

“I would love to.”

Lena’s sixth period was technically free period this year, due to her track schedule, the school agreed to give her the extra credits for Gym class. Sprinting around the track, Lena looked at the timer and sighed. Not even close to her PR. Retreating to the locker room, she took her phone out and texted the group chat.

[Tracer] Sorry loves, can’t make it after school today. Gotta whip myself back into shape after that two-month Europe trip. I’ll see everyone tomorrow then!

[Sombra] When you and Genji are heading downtown, can you drop me and a friend off at the movie theater? Luv u big bro <3

[Cowboy] Guess I’m a chauffeur now. Genji, you still down for hanging?

[Ninja] Of course. 

Clicking her phone off, she sighed and toweled the sweat on her face. The rag was discarded back into her locker, along with her phone, before she went back to the track. Setting up again, she took off, really pushing her legs are far as they could go. Whipping around the track, she was back at the start in no time. Checking the timer excitedly, she was 10 seconds slower than her last run. 

“What?!” She exclaimed, collapsing to her knees. Shifting to stretch her overworked legs, she groaned at the tension. That vacation was a big mistake, she realized. What if I never recover? What if I already peaked? I have to keep improving or I’ll lose my scholarship offers, she lamented to herself. 

Instead of just running some more, she focused on core. Planks, sit-ups, and many more in the dirt beside the track. Her mind was occupied on training till she spotted a group dressed in athletic wear across the field. Coach Zhou called out moves to the group and they mimicked her movements. Mesmerized, Lena lost count, but continued her crunches. Eventually she paused, the pain in her abdomen becoming more prominent. She gathered her legs beneath her and stood, taking a long swig of water from the plastic bottle in her hand. 

Her eyes wandered the ranks of students trying out, recognizing the senior Baptiste, fellow junior Ashe, that girl from freshman math, and surprisingly, the new sophomore. Her lips spread to a smirk. 

Arriving at his sixth period. gym, Genji gave an early leave slip to the teacher, who nodded and walked away. He took a look around the locker room, searching for his assigned locker. Along the way, he kept his eyes trained to the ground. He had read a story about a gay kid getting beat up over, apparently, staring at guys while they changed. Locating his locker, he changed into shorts and a fitted athletic shirt. His teacher gave him a nod, which was Genji’s cue that he was allowed to leave. Shoving his bag into his locker, he excitedly exited the classroom and broke out into a light jog towards the football field, where mostly girls and a few guys were gathering. 

One of the tryouts was giving out pompoms. When she came to Genji, he realized who it was. 

“Ashe! Didn’t expect to see you at cheerleading tryouts. What a surprise.”

Smirking, she dropped a pair into his hands. “Yup, pleasure seeing you here. Shocked you never heard; I’m the captain of this team.”

Grimacing mentally, Genji kept his cool on the outside. “Great! At least I’ll know someone if I make it.” 

The silver-haired junior leaned in close to Genji’s ear, the smirk still evident as she whispered, “If.”

Her voice sent a shiver down Genji’s spine but he kept his composure and smiled back, nodding and agreeing, “If.” His confidence made her blood boil, he could tell, but Miss. Captain kept her cool. Finishing up with pompom distribution, Ashe assumed her position in front of everyone, demonstrating the moves Coach Zhou called out to them. Genji mimicked them to perfect, his flexibility impressive to even the longtime gymnasts in the group. 

When it came down for flyer tryouts, Genji originally opted to be a base. His arms, forever, were weak and he was noticeably shorter than a lot of the girls. Struggling in the position, Coach Zhou pulled him aside. “Genji Shimada, right? Sorry for being so, uhm, forward with this question, but how tall are you specifically and around how much you weigh?”

Nervously, he recounted the last time he measured himself. “I am 5’5 and 115 pounds, last time I checked.” A smile spread across the teacher’s lips. 

“Perfect. I want you to try out for flyer. You’re small, flexible, and light. Nearly underweight. Make sure you see a doctor if you lose any weight.” She instructed, already caring for the student in front of her. 

What a nice coach, Genji thought. He nodded, his enthusiasm visible. “I will, Coach Zhou. And thank you for this opportunity- you won’t regret it.” Coach Zhou announced Genji’s chance for flyer to the rest of the squad that hadn’t been cut. 

While taking his position, Genji’s nerves were going wild. Flyer was the coveted position for many, he realized, and this will totally make Ashe, who was too tall and weighed more due to her height, extremely jealous. Plus, it’d probably impress Jesse- the whole goal of all of this. 

Once he was in the air, he let his muscles do the work, feeling free within the warm Autumn air. His limbs were loose as he preformed the correct moves, landed on the hands of his bases, then was hoisted up again. Coach Zhou’s face reflected the excitement she felt watching such a natural born flyer. Blowing the whistle, the bases caught Genji on his way down and set his to the ground. His legs were tingly, the adrenaline from such an experience coursing through him. His coach gave the team a smile and said, “This is our third flyer! Congrats, Genji.”

Head still fuzzy with thrill, he stumbled back to the locker room. The other boys had already showered after gym and he was thankful. Grabbing his towel, he went to the showers and turned the farthest one on. Quickly stripping and stepping beneath the cold stream, he rinsed off the small layer of sweat over his skin. Wrapping the towel around him, he dressed himself with the clothes from before tryouts. Locker door shut, he jumped when he saw Jesse leaning against the locker next to his.

“Jesse!” He exclaimed, nearly jumping out of shock, “Didn’t see you there.”

The junior laughed and shrugged. “Well, surprise. I was quite confused when you didn’t show up to Gym even though we share a period.” Jesse raised an eyebrow at the sophomore, whose lips formed a smile.

“Well, I made a last minute decision to try out for the cheer squad. I figured it’d be a fun activity, plus would minimize the credits I needed for Gym.” He explained rather quickly, managing not to trip on his words. 

“Well, that’s cool. Didn’t know you had an interest in that. I’ll see you on the sidelines of my games, won’t I?” Each word seemed drawn out, Genji noticed, and he tried to memorize the accent. He’d never been so attracted to someone’s voice before. 

Trying to contain his excitement, the cheerleader nodded, grabbing the taller one’s arm with his small hands. “You’ll see me alright. Everyone will. It’s kinda hard to miss a boy with green hair being hoisted into the air.” His smile grew wider, his teeth on fully display. 

A look of shock crossed Jesse’s face, but he shared in Genji’s excitement. “You’re a flyer on varsity? That’s amazing! I mean, it’s not unbelievable, seeing as you got the perfect body for it.” Genji’s eyes followed the quarterback’s as they looked him up and down. The red spreading across his cheeks felt warm, but he prayed that the boy in front of him wouldn’t notice.

Fortunately, neither of them commented on it. Running the towel through his green locks, Genji locked eyes with Jesse. “I saw everyone had to cancel, so I guess it’s just gonna be us, right?” The junior nodded, shrugging.

“It gets kinda hectic with everyone around either way. Let’s just chill downtown, I’ll treat ya to dinner at this amazing diner, and then we’ll grab some ice cream?” The offer was generous, and made it seem an awful lot like a date, but Genji shook his head. 

“I can’t let you pay for me! I have more than enough to pay. There’s no way I’m letting you treat me.” The Japanese boy commented as he threw the towel in the locker. His hair was still damp but it wasn’t gonna dry much more since the towel was pretty wet. 

Clicking his tongue, Jesse rolled his eyes. “I can tell you’re more than capable of paying yourself, but what kinda friend would I be if I take you out downtown and let you pay? A bad one. Just let me, Genji. It’s no bother. I scored a really well paying job as a lifeguard this summer.” Genji averted his eyes, trying hard not to imagine his friend in nothing but swim shorts and a tank top. A t-shirt and jeans were already too hard to handle. 

Sighing, Genji began walking out of the locker room with Jesse. “I’m not gonna win this fight, am I, cowboy?”

Jesse just chuckled and responded, “Not a chance, darking,” which made Genji’s knees weak.


End file.
